Mon, Dec 22, 2008
Faulty Nose Gear Door Actuator Examined
The National Transportation Safety
Board has released an updated factual report on the Northwest
Airlines Flight 74 landing accident at Guam International Airport
(GUM) on August 19, 2005.
As ANN reported, the NWA Boeing 747-200
experienced trouble extending the landing gear on approach to GUM,
indicated by a red light on the landing gear indicator and a
warning horn. After aborting the initial approach and consulting a
cockpit operations manual, the flight crew concluded the landing
gear was "down and locked."
Soon after touchdown, the nose gear collapsed, and the plane
skidded to a stop on the runway. The 340 persons aboard evacuated
the stricken jet via inflatable slides, with only two minor
injuries reported. The aircraft, damaged beyond all repair, was
eventually scrapped, the Guam Pacific Daily News said.
Subsequent examination and testing of the aircraft's nose gear
components revealed several problems with the landing gear door
actuator: one of two "lock keys" was found to be installed
backward; strands of metallic material were found in different
areas of the actuator; the "manual override crank gland was found
lightly torqued with safety wire installed"; the "lock ram and lock
ring" were damaged; and the piston rod seal was "installed with
non-standard backup rings," according to the report.
Unknown to the flight crew of Flight 74, the same aircraft had
experienced similar problems just 10 days prior, but the captain of
that flight failed to make note of it in the plane's maintenance
log.
The NTSB's final report on the accident and determination of
probable cause has not yet been released.
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